The Enduroman Lanzarote Ultra 18/19/20th December 2008

I have been avoiding writing this for a while...but here goes...you will need a coffee and some biscuits for this one!
Sitting at a table with 3 people who have already swan the English channel is not the best thing to do when you are already feeling a little nervous about attempting the Lanzarote ultra the next day. Sitting at a table with 2 people who have already completed the Arch to Arc isn't great either. Talk about feeling the pressure. On top of that I didn't feel too good, I had started coming down with a cold in England, not the sort of cold that stops you from doing anything... only maybe sea swimming for 10 hours!! Ok, so I really wasn't feeling the most confident I had ever felt before a race and although the weather and some support car issues played a part, it was me who asked to delay the start by 24 hours.

So a day later me, Steve and Eddie were pulling our trainers on and applying Vaseline to sensitive parts  (the boys, not me!!)  We started the 45 mile run at 6pm Saturday, this would give us 12 hours to complete it and 2 hours rest before the swim at 8am Saturday. I have to say that running with the boys was a real laugh, only on the last lap of El Golfo, when all 3 of us had injuries and the tiredness started to kick in, did the laughing stop, until then it was fantastic. 
When we got back to the Enduroman Villa I was feeling pretty crappy. In the last 5 miles I had started to feel very sick and I hadn't taken on any fluids or food, my foot was very sore and mentally I wasn't in a great place. I tried to eat or sleep but couldn't, the thought of swimming for 9/10 hours in the sea was scaring the shit out of me. The nearer the time came, the worse I felt. It was still dark outside and I think in hindsight that played a big part in the decision not to swim. Telling Steve that I was pulling out of the race was very hard, and the look on his face made me feel awful.  

We drove down to the sea and Steve and Eddie started their swim. I was feeling really bad, mentally and physically, and was finding it very hard to support the boys, as I felt that I should have been swimming with them and that I had let them and myself down big time. I tried to have a sleep in the car at one point, then I decided that I had to do it, and made Lynn drive all the way back to the villa to get my wetsuit (thank you Lynn!!) I was aware that I was acting like a complete loon at this point. I got in the sea and did a lap and a half before realising that there was no way I would finish in the light and my heart just wasn't in it. I got out and gave myself a bit of a talking to and then concentrated on supporting Steve for the rest of his swim and bike.

Steve completed his swim in 6 hrs and 41 mins, which is a great time and he was in good shape afterwards. We headed back to the villa for a rest and some food. Steve and Eddie started the bike at 9pm and me and Lynn were supporting. This part of the race was really hard for all concerned, as the weather started to get worse and worse. Watching the boys almost get blown off their bikes, whilst getting soaked by the storms was very hard. When Steve would come in for a break and feed, it was all I could do to stop myself from pleading with him to stop as he looked so incredibly exhausted, but I knew he would never give up. But it made me appreciate just how hard it is for a partner to watch someone you love put themselves through this kind of stuff.

I went to bed feeling shattered but ok about things, but when I woke up the next day (afternoon??!) I felt very differently. Something in me a changed and I knew I had to do the Lanzarote Ultra before I went home.  I went for a walk with Steve and as we sat in a cafe I told him how I felt. To his credit, he didn't even blink, just said that he would support me no matter what, and then set about sorting out timescales and changing flight times on his blackberry! I then had the tricky job of explaining to various family members back home why I couldn't possibly return yet and a fair amount of begging and apologising went on over the next 24 hours!!
I have to say that from the start of this attempt I felt completely different, really happy and positive. It never entered my head at any time during any part that I wouldn't finish this time.

I started the run (again!) on Thursday at 12pm, this was to give me enough time to complete it, as we all thought that with the lack of recovery, foot injury and the blisters I got on the first run, I would take a lot longer to finish. Apart from a little foot maintenance at the 2 hour mark and a couple of painkillers, I found this run to be easier than the first. I did take it a little slower but after a while we realised that I would have to have a couple of longer breaks in order to get me back to the villa for my maximum 5 hours rest and then 7am swim start, which would allow maximum daylight for the swim. I didn't mind this as my time was not an issue at this point and finishing was the only goal.

I remember running (ok, walking!!) up the big mountain and looking up at the stars and singing Madonna tunes to myself!! I felt a little mad but in a good way. I was getting so much support from everybody via my phone and the Enduroman forum, I felt people really cared about what I was doing (sniff!)  I had a longish food break at the villa and then started on the scary last lap of El Golfo. If there was a low point on the run, I guess this was it. Steve couldn't really stop here as it would have been too dangerous, and so it was just me running along side the very dark, black lava fields - on my own - did I mention that I was by myself here??!!  I have to admit that a phone call from my best friend was exactly what I needed at this point, and we discussed that there weren't really any lava monsters and at 34 I really shouldn't be scared of imaginary things! Once I got off the coastal road Steve was able to drive behind me again, which was a great relief to both of us. I was on the last hour of the run when I noticed that a car driving towards me didn't seem to be paying much attention to my flashing bike light and I had to jump off the road, which would have been fine if it weren't for the whole spiky lava thing going on! There is no give in that stuff at all!! So now I had a bloody leg, which hurt quite a bit!! I sat on the side of the road for a minute and questioned my sanity and then got up and finished the run.
I don't remember if or what I ate after the run, I think I slept but I don't remember that either. The only thing I remember is driving down to the sea with Steve and putting on my wetsuit in a carpark and waiting for it to get light. I was nervous but not too bad considering. As soon as the sun started to rise, we got the canoe and walked down to the waters edge.  

Getting in the sea at that time of the morning after no sleep etc etc isn't the best thing, but I was surprised how quickly I settled into my stroke. I had a few large objects that I had to sight on and when Steve wasn't in the canoe, he would feed me from the steps. After about 3 hours, I was noticing that I was getting thrown about a bit, but didn't think much of it as a couple of the Weymouth swims I have done have been a little rough. But when I got to the steps and Steve asked me to get out and sit on the side, he had bought me a lovely pink Lanzarote towel and as I threw tea over myself he broke the news that we would have to move the remainder of my swim to the smaller more sheltered bay next to this one. What he told me afterwards was that the lifeguard had told him that he would stop the swim if the conditions got any worse!!  I was quite pleased about this, until Steve worked out that I had to do 17 laps!!!  I know its all just miles and time, but having started the swim doing 12 laps (of the bigger bay) it was hard to get my head around it.  The cold started to really get to me now and my appetite just disappeared, which is normal for me, but I know Steve was worried and was doing his best to make me eat and drink.  The colder I get though the less I want to talk, but the support and messages I got from the forum were great, made me laugh and took my mind off the endless laps.

With 4 laps to go I got it in my head that Steve would tell me that I didn't really have 4 left but 2 instead! But to my disappointment he didn't and I had to flippin' swim them!!  It was a great feeling swimming that last lap though and I really couldn't believe that I had actually been swimming for nearly 10 hours.

I learnt 2 important lessons from my 11 mile swim - Tie my hair up properly next time and Vaseline, for god's sake never forget the Vaseline!!
The run was hard, the swim was harder but the bit before getting on the bike was the hardest part of all. I felt really bad, everything hurt, I couldn't eat and I felt really sick. The thought of riding my bike over a really hilly 80 mile course was unthinkable, I just couldn't imagine being able to do it! Still, I was hardly going to stop now and at 10.15pm I got on my bike, shaking all over the place and started to ride. Strangely, by the time I got 3 or 4 miles into the ride, I felt fine! In fact I remember shouting to Steve about wanting chips! The rest of the ride is a bit of a blur, I remember seeing things, riding hills and stopping for a couple of well needed naps in the back of the van, but not much else. Although riding on top of the Mirador with the wind blowing so hard, and me wondering if anybody had actually been blown off the mountain before stuck in my mind. Steve said watching from the van behind his heart skipped a beat a few times, mine felt like it stopped!! The only good thing about it was that because it was dark, I couldn't see the 1,000 ft drop just to my left!!  I cycled through the night and into the morning and I remember just after it got light, I looked down at my speedo and realised that I was doing over 40mph, cool! I thought, although that could have had some interesting results.

After 44 hours and 17 minutes (and a bit of a false start) I finally finished The Lanzarote Ultra, during which I lost weight, some hair and a toenail. I laughed, cried and bled. I lost my confidence and then found it again. I learnt a lot about myself and what I am capable of doing, when I really want to. The Lanzarote Ultra is an amazing challenge that I will never ever forget.

Race progress link here...